SPRING!!! and a new project Outdoor Fireplace Design Discuss SPRING!!! and a new project in the Outdoor Kitchens and Living Rooms forums; CV - Geeze! What a poopy dissertation! I'm lost as to what your point was, but I had a good ...

[gjbingham]

CV - Geeze! What a poopy dissertation! I'm lost as to what your point was, but I had a good laugh, despite my churning tummy. Thanks for the graphic descriptions of poop transport. I think I can live without the pics though.

[egalecki]

Ah. I was wondering about how hot the turkey manure might be. I don't have a lot of weeds with my horse manure, but I pull it from the back of the pile at the barn, so it's been there a while by the time I use it. Since the whole pile (a very large one, I assure you) steams all winter, it kills almost all the weed seeds. The only fee I pay, other than the feed going in the other end of my manure generators, is for the man to come down from the feed store at the end of the lane with his loader to put it in my truck for me. $12.00.

I look forward to seeing your other project pics-

George, don't you wanna investigate using buffalo chips in the oven like the pioneers used? (You'd never believe how long I tried to figure out what a buffalo chip was while I was reading "Little House on the Prairie.....)

[carioca]

Originally Posted by dmun

Much in life is governed by the rule of "2": Everything costs twice as much and takes twice as long as originally anticipated.

I'm tempted by personal experience to add the words "at least" on two appropriate places... (my forno cost at least @$A4500 so far if I count everyhting, and with the landscaping I'm into year TWO!)

Cheers,

LMH

[cvdukes]

First, a couple of pictures of last weekend's swing and bench. The sun pattern coming through the pergola top realy play havoc with trying to get meaningful photos of the bench. Its identical to the swing, just with legs.

[cvdukes]

Now, the update on the monster chimena firebeast:
I decided I could make the framework for the front veneer out of PT lumber as long as I covered all wood surfaces with concrete and/or backer board. Looking at my design, I figure the front will get warm but not hot enough to combust the protected wood... plus there wont be any oxyegen to support burning as long as I fully encase the wood.
Friday, I slipped out of work early and picked up some lumber and as many bags of concrete mix that my truck can safely handle (found out years ago, its a good thing to keep one's front wheels on the ground). By evening, had poured a hearth and set the posts that would form the side pillars around the firebox.
Saturday, ran back out for more concrete and got countertops formed on either side of the beast. The countertops are at different heights ...sort of a theme I've got going where no counter is the same height . Visually it actually works quite well. All the counters will be tile covered so didn't have work too hard for a super smooth finish.
By mid-afternoon today, had finished roughing in the front frame with hardi-backer board. Had a good pile of concrete bags and a few old pallets... so one thing led to another, and the next thing I know....

[cvdukes]

So, looking at the previous pictures, my giant termite mound is starting to look like a fireplace with a proper mantel.
I still have a lot of work to do on it, but at least it seems to have lost that Planet of the Apes look. I'll have to come up with some dentate type ornamentation and a few other visual fru-fru that I can make in backer board and concrete, but its coming along.
I'll have to coat everything inside and outside with fiberglass reinforced concrete... since my fire today got a little bigger than I probably should have built, I'll probably need to power wash the inside before coating it.
Also, since we picked up so many tiles at Lowes after Christamas for 11 cents a foot, there will be tile on the pillars and the front face of the mantle.

My costs to date are $167 not counting screws and Pl Premium. I figure it'll still take about two bags of fiberglass concrete ($32), plus whatever tile thinset...

Today's temp was 94 when I had that fire going...I could feel the heat radiating on me from about 12 feet away...be interesting to see if it feels that hot in the winter.

It was rather breezy, but most of the smoke went up the chimney... note the last picture below...the firebeast is puffing up the white smoke in the middle of the picture (white smoke... doesn't that mean that I've elected a pope?)

[Modthyrth]

Now that is a thing of great beauty. I'm blown away. Impressed. Inspired.

[cvdukes]

Been awol from reporting on this project for a while. So quick update.

Looking back at my first posts, I indicated that this Springtime project was going to stretch into the Fall, because of when I could more Kaolin clay to mix in with the fireclay and mortar.
Been busy tiling the firebeast and all the outdoor counters... took the best part of the summer. Now mortaring round river rock over the light poles, and support poles on my pavillion roof. Another long job becasue I can only go a few inches each day. Tried slip forming it...could go up faster but didn't like how it looked. Even with the hand laying, its still a messy job. I'll have to blast off all the extra mortar with power washer once its all done.

Got the kaolin a couple of weeks ago and made my refractory lining mix... climbed up inside the fire beast and coated the inside with the mix.

Had our first real fire in it last night. Draw is not as good as I would like...it was super breezy, so that partially accounts for the problem. After about 5 hours, one of my friends noted smoke coming out from some of the firewood stacked UNDER the counter beside the firebeast. Turned out the wood was touching on the concrete wall of the firebeast...and had gotten hot enough to ignite! So today, started construction of a firebreak wall under the counters... just concrete backer board about 8" away from the firebeast wall...the space between will be filled with vermiculite, so that should solve that.

[cvdukes]

While I'm posting, a few other shots of how the outdoor area is shaping up.

The last picture here is the "beer trough"... Normally it'll hold 72 longnecks, but last night, I was trying to empty out some my 5 liter wine jugs 'cause I got wine coming out of the carboys now...That's 30 liters of wine in there (the yellow things are plastic containers we re-freeze for ice.

[cvdukes]

a few more...